Millions could lose no-cost preventive services if SCOTUS upholds ruling

A study by the Stanford Prevention Policy Modeling Lab (PPML) finds that almost 30% of privately insured individuals in the United States, or nearly 40 million people, use at least one of the free preventive health services guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Millions Could Lose Free Preventive Health Services, Depending on Upcoming Supreme Court Case

A new study by researchers from Stanford and Harvard shows that nearly 40 million people with private insurance in the U.S. use free preventive health services guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—things like cancer screenings, cholesterol checks, and HIV testing. But now, those free services could be taken away because of a legal case being heard by the Supreme Court on April 21, called Kennedy v. Braidwood Management Inc.

Here’s what’s going on:

The ACA requires insurance companies to cover certain preventive services at no cost to patients. These services are recommended by a group of health experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), who base their advice on scientific evidence of what works best to keep people healthy.

But the lawsuit argues that these experts weren’t appointed properly—they weren’t chosen by the President or confirmed by the Senate, as the Constitution usually requires for certain government officials. So, the court is being asked to decide if it's legal to force insurance companies to follow their recommendations.

In the original case, the people suing also claimed that covering HIV prevention medication goes against their religious beliefs.

Researchers looked at insurance data from millions of people across the country and found:

• Almost 30% of privately insured Americans use at least one of the free services that could be affected by this case.

• Women use these services even more—nearly half of privately insured women rely on them.

• In 13 states, over 1 million people use these services, including 3 million in Texas, where the case started.

The most commonly used services include screenings for cervical cancer, hepatitis C, and HIV.

Health experts warn that if these services are no longer free, fewer people will get them, which could lead to worse health outcomes and higher healthcare costs in the long run.

The ACA’s preventive services rule has long been popular with the public, and the Supreme Court’s decision could have a big impact on millions of Americans who currently rely on these no-cost health services.